South Yorkshire Leaders vote for long-term plan to fully reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport with £160m investment

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard and council Leaders have taken a historic decision to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport, approving a £160m (£159.52m) funding package that will see commercial flights return to the region.  

The decision was made at a meeting of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board, held on Tuesday 9 September at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. All five board members voted unanimously in favour of the funding, paving the way for the airport’s reopening.  

The approved funding is on top of the £16m already committed previously by the Board. The decision was taken by the Board made up of South Yorkshire’s Mayor who chairs it, the Leader of Barnsley Council Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Mayor of City of Doncaster Council Ros Jones, Leader of Rotherham Council Chris Read and Leader of Sheffield City Council Tom Hunt. 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed in November 2022, leaving South Yorkshire one of the largest UK city regions without an international aviation presence. 

Since it closed, the Mayors of South Yorkshire and Doncaster, along with local authority partners and central government have worked at pace to explore the opportunity to return aviation to the region through a reopened airport with a viable future.  

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard, said: “We’re reopening DSA. Today, we’ve made a historic decision; to invest in the plans to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and to create a sustainable aviation and advanced manufacturing hub at Gateway East.  

“I’ve always said I wanted to reopen DSA, but we needed to know exactly what the plan looked like. That’s why we’ve taken the time and done the work. No plan of this size or scale is ever easy, or without risks, but today we’ve taken a bold step forward, backed by data, expertise, and a shared vision for the type of South Yorkshire we want to build, because DSA is a unique opportunity.  

“The plan we have backed today is about more than holiday flights or passenger numbers, it’s a long-term commitment to drive jobs, growth and opportunities in sustainable aviation, advanced manufacturing, freight, and even the defence sector, here in South Yorkshire.” 

Councillor Sir Stephen Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, added: "We support the proposal to invest in and reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport. It's a massive opportunity which will help to support thousands of jobs, attract inward investment, support trade, and connect South Yorkshire to the world.

"Our residents will gain improved access to travel, our businesses will be better positioned to reach new markets, and our local economy will be strengthened by the ripple effects of increased activity across logistics, hospitality, and advanced manufacturing. 

"A prosperous Doncaster Sheffield Airport will be a crucial asset for South Yorkshire in delivering long-term economic growth with the benefits felt across the whole region for years to come and allow all communities to thrive - something we've identified as a key mission of our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy."

Now that a positive funding decision has been taken, significant passenger operations are not likely to commence until summer 2028 but with potential for limited passenger activity and cargo from winter 2027.